Microsoft is developing a smart scarf

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The Microsoft news just keeps on coming this week. The company has already detailed some of its biggest upcoming products including the free Windows 10 operating system upgrade and the ambitious HoloLens augmented reality headset. But if you thought those announcements could have used some more quirky wearables then you’re in luck. Researchers at Microsoft are also developing a smart scarf.

Project Swarm (Sensing Whether Affect Requires Mediation) was revealed during a presentation at a conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction at Stanford University last Sunday. Researchers proposed new ideas for how people could physically interact with technology, and for the graduate student and intern researchers at Microsoft, that meant creating a device that reacts to biometric data like emotions.

The prototype scarf is made up of hexagonal industrial felt and conductive copper taffeta modules. Users pair the scarf to their smartphone via Bluetooth and use the Swarm app to command it to heat up or vibrate depending on the modules included. Users can take apart and rearrange the scarf for added comfort, and the team is working on new cooling modules for stress relief. And while the scarf form factor was chosen to make the technology more discreet, according to Michele Williams, co-author of the paper explaining the project, users can also slip it into a more stylish sleeve.

But as appealing as this may sound, right now the smart scarf is mostly for academic purposes. According to an interview with the researchers on MIT Technology Review, it’s for figuring out new ways therapeutic technology like this might benefit those with mental or physical disabilities. And just because the team wants to add a music player doesn’t mean they’re planning on taking down the iPod. Basically, don’t expect to find this scarf in stores anytime soon.

However, just because you may not be able to buy this particular smart scarf, that doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to buy another smart scarf. It’s the Wild West for wearables right now and something that sounds crazy today might end up being the biggest, most innovative new idea tomorrow. Why stop at just smart watches, smart glasses, smart fitness bands, and smart rings? Why not a smart scarf? Why not a smart dress that turns transparent when the wearer is aroused?

Like we said earlier though, at least Microsoft does have some slick futuristic tech in the works that you can look forward to buying one day. Just try to remember that if you find yourself pining for a nice, warm smart scarf to wrap around your neck.